Farley Camping

The dream is to finish work on a Friday, whizz down the motorway to an idyllic rural campsite and be barbecuing dinner with a beer in hand by 7.30pm. The reality is often a little different. But rather than giving up on your wholesome dreams and buying dinner for the kids at a service station, why not book your spot at Farley Camping? It’s less than two hours out of London, close to the Test Valley, the New Forest and Stonehenge – and your campsite hosts are in charge of the barbecue.

Farley Camping is based on Parsonage Farm on the Wiltshire-Hampshire border where the Parsons family have been farming since the 14th-century. It’s home to The Traditional Meat Company, through which the latest generation of Parsons sell the farm’s well-reared wares – but not before a campsite’s worth of gourmet burgers and delicious pork sausages have been carefully put to one side. The family have set aside one huge 12-acre field for summer campers. It's tents and small campervans only and, as if manning the barbecue wasn’t enough, they’ll pitch a tent for you too if you like. Their five bell tents are pre-erected and kitted out with beds so all you need to do is arrive and throw the bedding in before tucking in to one of their juicy burgers.

Apart from the helping hand with provided tents and dinner (if you want it), life on site is all about getting back to basics and surrounding yourself in nature. Cows graze in the fields around you and there’s a woodland to explore on one side of the field. Facilities are temporary and simple; there are chemical toilets dotted about and a trailer of hot water showers. There’s a “free-form” pitching policy which works well when there’s oh-so-much-space. It’s a family atmosphere and it’s especially good for groups who want to camp together. With just 40 pitches in the vast tree-lined field, each has a massive third of an acre so come with friends and you literally have acres of space to yourselves. Campfires are welcome, well-behaved dogs are allowed and it’s generally a relaxed atmosphere.

There are two pubs within walking distance, even for little legs, both within a mile of site and accessed on routes that don’t touch roads. Choose the Hook and Glove if you want to play petanque or The Silver Plough for a game of skittles. It’s about all that’s needed for a weekend away but this idyllic taste of country life is also incredibly well-located so you might want to stay a while longer. The Test Valley, the edge of the New Forest and historic Salisbury are within a few miles of the farm. Stonehenge is just 20 minutes’ drive away and the south coast a little bit further.